If you’re a Las Vegas Raiders fan wallowing in self-pity right now because of the struggles of rookie running back Ashton Jeanty, we feel your pain. It’s understandable to feel angry and disappointed when you draft an underperforming running back in the top ten, especially when it happens because of an offensive line that can’t block anyone or protect the quarterback.
You’re not alone, however. NFL and New England Patriots columnist Ben Volin took a look at the players from the first round of the 2025 draft class in his Sunday notes column, and it’s full of players who are struggling as much or more than Jeanty.
Consider the top three picks of the draft. Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward has some of the worst positional stats in the league, although he deserves some slack because of the Titans lack of talent and the fact that he started his career playing for a clueless, inexperienced young coach, Brian Callahan, who’s already been fired.
Receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter was supposed to be a two-way wunderkind, but the Jacksonville Jaguars top draft pick is already done for the season. To make matters worse, the Jags traded a ton of draft capital on Hunter, and waffling on his positional fit has helped put his future very much up in the air.
Finally, there’s Abdul Carter. He was supposed to tear up the league as a pass rusher, but Carter has just 1.5 sacks for the New York Giants. Moreover, he’s already been benched twice for disciplinary reasons.
There are other names, including four of the five rookie quarterbacks who were selected, but Jeanty ranks high on this list of disappointments.
“I think fans think that there’s this magical draft board that’s locked up in a vault and everyone works off of that,” said Dane Brugler, draft analyst at The Athletic whose guide, "The Beast," is must-reading for draft fans.
The Raiders draft board definitely hasn’t been magical, but it’s been hard to evaluate the rest of GM John Spytek’s selections because of the ineffective approach this year.
Coach Pete Carroll was brought in to establish a winning culture, but Las Vegas is now a 2-10 team that’s borderline unwatchable, and Carroll seems determined to try to save his job by going mostly with underperforming veterans, many of whom won’t be coming back.
As for Jeanty, let’s hope he gets an offensive line to run behind for his sophomore season.. Even more important, how about straightening out the organizational chaos that’s emerged this year so we know who’s in charge and what this team’s direction will be going forward?